Dali Kingdom
Dali was a country bordering the Song in the south. Yi Deng Yi Deng was the Emperor of Da Li for a few years. He was a just and kind ruler and did many good things for the country. His name was Duan Zhixing and he worked hard on his kung fu, which was extremely powerful. He was able to obtain the title “Southern Emperor” and became one of the Five Greats alongside Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, Hong Qigong and Wang Chongyang. He also learned the Pre-Heaven Skill from Wang Chongyang, as Wang Chongyang thought he was the only one who would be able to defeat Ouyang Feng after he died. This was because Duan Zhixing’s Yi Yang Finger was the counter to the legendary Toad Stance and also deplete Ouyang Feng's wugong for a couple of years. Duan Zhixing taught Wang Chongyang the Yi Yang Finger in exchange for the Pre-Heaven Skill, which Wang Chongyang uses to negate Ouyang Feng’s Toad Stance temporarily due to Wang Chongyang knowing that after his death, Ouyang Feng will come for the the Nine Yin Manual and he had to defeat him quickly. However, due to Zhou Botong and Ying Gu, that time known as Liu Fei, having an affair, and him not willing to save their child after he was injured by Qiu Qianren, Duan Zhixing abdicated the throne and became a Buddhist Monk to repent. The Indian Monk The Indian Monk is Yi Deng’s martial brother. He does not practice the martial arts but is skilled in healing. He also understands an ancient Indian language which he uses to translate part of the Jiu Ying Zhen Jing in Sanskrit, which allows Hong Qigong and Yi Deng to regain their kung fu efficiently. In Return of the Condor Heroes, he finds a cure for Yang Guo after he is poisoned by flowers. He was very dedicated in his search and even poisoned himself to see how the poison worked. He is accidentally killed by Li Mochou in a fight when he is finding the antidote for Yang Guo. He is found dead and smiling by Yi Deng with the antidote in his hand. He ends up saving Yang Guo, for the official antidote was not there. Yi Deng's Disciples Yi Deng's four disciples are known as the fisher, the lumberjack, the farmer, and the reader. Chu Dongshan was the Navy Admiral of Da Li. He later becomes Yi Deng’s disciple after Yi Deng becomes a monk. He disguises himself as a fisherman. Zhang Shaoshou was a great general in Da Li. He also becomes Yi Deng’s disciple and disguises himself as a woodcutter. Wu Santong was the leader of the palace guards and later disguises himself as a farmer. Zhu Ziliu was the head of government of Da Li. He becomes Yi Deng’s best disciple and disguises himself as a scholar. Others Liu Guifei was a woman in the Da Li palace. She was smart and learned kung fu fast. However, Duan Zhixing always ignored her, for he spent a lot of time on martial arts. Liu Guifei later became the Divine Thinker Ying Gu, after she left the palace. Zhou Botong's Interference Zhou Botong had a huge impact on the Dali Kingdom, and was the reason Yi Deng became a monk. He visited the palace when Wang Chongyang visited to teach Yi Deng the Pre-Heaven Skill. He spent his days roaming the palace and fooling around. However, he meets Ying Gu and tells her secrets about pressure points that he shouldn't have. Zhou Botong falls in love with Ying Gu, and Yi Deng gets mad at him. It is later revealed that he has a kid with Ying Gu. Zhou Botong later leaves and does not want to see Yi Deng again, for he thinks he has wronged him. Ying Gu leaves the palace as well Qiu Qianren Soon, after Zhou Botong left, Qiu Qianren arrived at Da Li. He hit Ying Gu's kid with his Iron Sand Palms, though he had a bit of mercy and didn't kill the child instantly, but the kid is fatally wounded. When Qiu Qianren attacked, he was masked by the darkness, so Ying Gu could not identify him. She thought Yi Deng had sent someone to kill her kid. Ying Gu knew the only person who could save him was Yi Deng, so she begged him to. However, due to the fact he would have to relearn his kung fu, he was worries he wouldn't be able to defeat the Western Venom after. Finally, out of pity, he decided to save the kid. However, he saw the handkerchief Ying Gu made for Zhou Botong, which angered him and he refused to save the kid. The kid had no hope, and Ying Gu stabbed him to end his suffering. She also swore vengeance on Yi Deng for not saving her kid. However, Ying Gu remembered Qiu Qianren's laugh after killing her kid, which later helped her identify the killer of the kid later on. After losing to Hong Qigong in the Second Mount Hua tournament, Qiu Qianren is saved by Yi Deng and becomes his disciple and repents. Hong Qigong Just before Yi Deng became a monk, he passed his position as emperor to his oldest son. He also invited Hong Qigong. He decided to teach him the Pre-Heaven Skill as well as the Yi Yang Finger. Combined with the Dragon-Subduing Palms, Hong Qigong would easily be able to defeat Ouyang Feng. Yi Deng planned to commit suicide after, as he regretted the decision not to save Ying Gu's kid. However, once Hong Qigong learned of this, he refused to learn this kung fu, and following this, Yi Deng decided to become a monk. Because of this, Hong Qigong does not like to talk about Yi Deng. Ouyang Feng Word got out that Wang Chongyang taught Yi Deng the Yi Yang Finger. Ouyang Feng was worried he would not be able to beat Yi Deng at the second Mount Hua Tournament. One day, one of Yi Deng's disciples went to Mount White Camel to get an herb. However, Ouyang Ke stopped him and they were evenly matched. Soon, Ouyang Feng came, and used the Toad Stance to severely injure Yi Deng's disciple. Yi Deng was forced to save him, and lost five years of progress. Guo Jing and Huang Rong Ascend the Mountain After, Yi Deng became a Monk, his four disciples decided to stay with him, for they had been together for a very long time. They decided to stay on a secret mountain.